Major Grants

Requests for Major Grants – $5,001 or more for program or project support – must address one of the Foundation’s priorities and applicants must demonstrate a significant impact within the OceanFirst Foundation footprint of Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Middlesex (Monroe Twp.), Monmouth and Ocean counties. In addition, Major Grant applicants must have tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status with the IRS and be compliant with the State of New Jersey’s charitable registration requirements. Organizations may request one major grant per year. If your organization is seeking a program or project support grant of $5,000 or less, consider the Good Neighbor Grant program.

Organizations that have not previously received a grant should contact the Foundation to be screened for eligibility.

OceanFirst Foundation utilizes a two-stage process to consider Major Grant requests. In STAGE 1, nonprofit organizations are invited to submit a Letter of Interest to the Foundation via its Grant Request Portal. In STAGE 2, only those organizations invited to apply submit a full proposal via the Grant Request Portal.

STAGE 1 – Letter of Interest Submission Letters of Interest should provide a brief organization background, the amount requested, a summary of the program or project to be supported by a grant, and the expected impact. Letters may not exceed 1000 words (approx. 2 single-spaced pages) and applicants must also upload a one-page Program/Project Budget. The Foundation’s Major Grant Committee conducts a thorough review of the Letters of Interest received in Stage 1 to determine which organizations will be invited to move on to STAGE 2 – the submission of a full proposal for consideration. Organizations will receive notification of the disposition of their request at the conclusion of the STAGE 1 LOI review process.

Click hereto submit an online LOI for 2020. Letters of interest submitted via other means including email, postal or express delivery will not be accepted.

STAGE 2 – Full Proposal Submission Only those organizations invited to move onto STAGE 2 submit a full proposal. Organizations participating in STAGE 2 will be provided with further instructions on completing the full proposal process including the additional documentation requirements and deadline. The Foundation’s Major Grant Committee conducts a through review of the full proposals and presents their funding recommendations to the OceanFirst Foundation Board of Directors for consideration and approval. Applicants should expect to receive final notification of grants awarded in June.

Please Plan Ahead

The deadline to apply for a 2020 Major Grant is March 1, 2020.

Information for Grantseekers

If you or your organization is seeking a grant, you’ll want to determine if your project fits within our four core priority areas: Health and Wellness, Housing, Improving Quality of Life, and Youth Development and Education. Give us a call to chat about your ideas and we’ll guide you in the right direction. Learn More

Since 1996, OceanFirst Foundation has built a solid reputation as a good neighbor providing grants that help families, organizations, schools and communities in central and southern New Jersey.